GS 450h Propshaft damper replacement

[nicholasbergesen]

Hi Everyone, 

I have a 2010 GS450h with a worn rear (phase 2?) propshaft damper, Lexus quoted £2,600 to replace, however I wanted to get a gauge on whether this price is in-line with other service providers. I asked a local independant mechanic and he agreed the propshaft damper did need replacing but that I would have to get Lexus to do it, he also thought it was quite expensive.  

Does anyone on the forum have any advice or experience in this? any thoughts or insights would be greatly welcome.   

Many thanks in advance and happy easter! 

Nick 

 

 

[Malc1]

Excuse the Q from an unenlightened forum member !

What is the prop shaft damper …… is it just the rubber piece   “ bung”  joining it all up ? 

Or is it a major whole unit piece  maybe where some service guys think the whole prop shaft has to be replaced ? 

Could make a big difference in understanding what the economic solution might be 🤔

Thanks

Malc 

[ColinBarber]

Your GS is a series III, not II.

Are you suffering any vibration? The rubber can split slightly and then not deteriorate further so you don't have to replace it straightaway. Unfortunately the coupler is bonded to the prop and not available on its own, hence why the price is expensive. However, I'd get a breakdown of the costs as a replacement prop shaft from Lexus is probably very expensive, whereas it is likely to be cheaper if you import one from somewhere such as Amayama.

The other option is to remove the old one from the prop and use one that wasn't designed to be bonded - e.g. from a Supra or GS series I or II. But you would need to confirm the size and bolt patterns match.

Not sure why your mechanic feels it's only a job for Lexus - that shouldn't be the case.

 

 

[nicholasbergesen]

Hi both, 

Thanks for your posts.  

@Malc1, I’m not that technical tbh, but the damper stops vibrations from the engine/drive shaft. I wanted to understand if it could be replaced as an individual item or whether the whole shaft has to be replaced. 

@ColinBarber, thanks for your insights. Didn’t realise it was bonded, cost now seems to make more sense. No vibrations that I can notice, either town driving or motorway speeds, It was an advisory from my last Lexus service. As I’m not that technical, will probably get Lexus or a reputable garage to do it, with cost breakdown beforehand. I’m based in north west London if anyone reading this can recommend a good independent mechanic.

It’s a great car and I want to keep it going for years to come so will look into getting this sorted.

Thanks again.

Nick  

[Malc1]

Nick.    Was it actually an MOT Advisory too ? 
if so then thinking yes to have it sorted BUT if it’s not, maybe just the Lexus service guys touting for work ……. it’s not unknown sadly ……. then if there’s no issue with driving the car then maybe this might be one piece of preventative maintenance a tad too far ! 

Just my thoughts 🤔

Malc 

[nicholasbergesen]

Hi Malc1, 

Thanks for getting back to me. No it wasn't, went through with no advisories. You make a valid point and I didn't think about that before (touting for work). With that in mind, I think I will hold off for now. 

Thanks for the advice and have a great day. 

Nick